The Surgery in Horndean has for some time been looking to move into bigger premises to offer a better and more services. With the planned housing between now and 2028 this need is also a key priority to plan for. EHDC and the Surgery in the past identified this need and the current Havant Road Development was earmarked as a site, but when Gales Brewery was closed and plans for development came forward, this was thought to be a better option with its village centre location, especially as there was no interest in the Havant Road site at the time.
The planning permission for the Gales site made provision for this new building and an innovative agreement to fund the construction and space using developers contributions was set up to ensure this could happen. This has taken longer to conclude, and a key problem has been that the original developer who secured the planning permission at the Gales Site, Burton Properties, could not make the scheme stack up when the care home provider who went bust pulled out. This is how Linden Homes then came on board.
The key message is that a new surgery is coming and below is a Question and Answer session with Dr Coombe, the Director of the practice, that gives the latest information. Dr Coombe if you did not know, started his career in the Royal Army Medical Corp where he served with Distinction under fire.
What is the anticipated date for signing with Linden Homes?
The next meeting is 19 November, there is considerable legal work to complete but we would hope to achieve this by the end of this year or early 2015.
What is the anticipated date for moving in?
Once EHDC have final agreement of the ‘detail of the deal’ and the legal documentation is completed and signed it will take 4 months to fit out the building to surgery standard. Realistically Summer 2015.
How much bigger is the new surgery?
The new surgery is about 3 times the size. The current building 150m2 and was built in 1968 for 800 patients. The new surgery will be 450m2 and built to cope with our current 5000 patients and the new residents in all the various developments locally.
Do you plan to bring in more services?
Absolutely, we will be able to offer space for community NHS services like visiting consultant specialists, a wider variety and more frequent chronic disease management clinics including asthma, diabetes, heart disease, COPD, dementia, mental health and leg ulcer dressings. We will also have space for complementary services like physio, chiropractor, acupuncture, chiropody etc.
Will you have more GPs?
Currently we have no plans to increase GP numbers (it is worth pointing out that there is a recruitment crisis in GP). This would change if our numbers increase by more than 1000 patients in which case we can make the job desirable for other GPs to want to join us. We will however have the space to change our working practices which will increase the number of routine GP appointments.
Will the new surgery be able to cope with the forecast new housing for example Land East Of Horndean if this is approved?
In the current site absolutely not however in the New building we should be able to guarantee a surgery in the village for the foreseeable future.
If patients in nearby surgeries wish to move across can they?
Patients have the right to register with the Surgery of their choice.
Will the pharmacy remain in the spar?
No we would hope that the pharmacy will be under the same roof especially as a close working relationship between the surgery and the village pharmacist can only improve and enhance patient services. We would also hope to offer wider services – Blood pressure monitoring, prescription reviews, weight loss clinics etc in conjunction with the pharmacist.
Is it likely to be a surgery linden deal or surgery, linden, EHDC deal?
EHDC will be parenting and overseeing the deal but the final legal agreement will be between the surgery and Linden homes.
I know the planning process was stressful but is there a positive note about Julia Mansis’ (EHDC Planning Case Officer) work to help get the plans through?
Yes EHDC have always wanted a new surgery in the village. It is all about local services for local people with our ageing population who need local medical support and our increasing population. At a time of funding crisis in the NHS there would not be a future for a surgery in the village without the support of local residents, EHDC and in particular all the hard work of Julia Mansi, Julia Potter, Chris Fairhead and Guy Shepherd. Despite all the bureaucracy Guy has literally dragged the process to the very promising position we are today. (Note by Guy, Several other people also deserve a mention. Derek Chard for raising the slow progress with the developer as a concern, Lynn Evans at HPC for supporting this at meetings and with Officers at EHDC and other members of the team at East Hants. Mark Carrington, a new member of the Linden Homes team, also made this a key priority of his when he joined them)
Do you have a few quotes about the next 6 months and how you see the surgery developing in the future?
To ask the patients to be patient. They have waited a long time for a new surgery because with out their support this would have never happened. We have struggled for many years in very poor conditions but the staff have worked over and above to keep it going. Despite great adversity in the last 5 years overall our patient feedback is outstanding and we are recognized as one of the leading training practices in UK. With new facilities we hope to provide something really special without losing the small surgery friendly atmosphere.
horndeanmatters 
Is there sufficient parking at the new surgery to cope with people coming for all of the new services Dr Coombe mentions?
Hi Janet, At the design stages and consultations the parish and district Councils pushed hard for as much parkins space as possible. The developers obviously want to build on as much as possible. there were 26 spaces dedicated for the shops around the car park. Say there are 6 in the SPAR, 10 in the Surgery this leaves 10 for Nash hall and the little building to the front. This is reliant on the parking spaces not being used by the staff in the shops or by local residents. In reality a number of people will park in one of the car parks in Horndean they are used to, and walk to the two or three places they need to visit. It does not help though that the carpark has not been built using the approved plans, and one space is missing, with a further 9 that are not the right size. this is currently being taken up with Linden Homes but may mean major works to put it right. Guy.
Let’s encourage people to park at the precinct car park or next to Shambles in the old Co-op car park and to walk into the village (2 minutes). Better still, let’s lobby for a Car Park in Horndean from developers’ contributions (CIL). It is worth saying that the surgery at Gales Park (if it had been taken up) would’ve had more parking. Does Horndean need 15 more flats instead?
Hi Janet, I am a bit confused. The surgery IS moving into the Gales Park development and I am not sure where these 15 flats are? best wishes, Guy.
I went to a recent HPC planning meeting where Persimmon’s new plans for their Gales Park development on Havant Road is for 15 flats in place of the health centre which wasn’t taken up from the original plan. I can see that Mark Coombe is pictuted in front of what I believe to be the new surgery as part of the Linden development at The Old Brewery.
Ah! Sorry Janet, of course. Gales Park is the Havant Road Development, I was thinking of the Gales Site. My mistake. Yes. If the surgery was at the Havant Road Site it would have had separate parking, but I do not know how much. The building at the Gales Site would still have had customers and they would have parked in the Gales carpark. I do not know if a shop or surgery in the same building would have generated more parking need but the plans that were submitted were based on the surgery. Out of interest where would we put the carpark? guy.
That’s OK, ‘Gales Park’ is purely a marketing name to benefit from what has gone before in terms of tradition and the Old Brewery development (in my opinion, of course).
What a great talking point slash rumour:
‘A new car park for Horndean’ !
The article states that you have the right to register with the surgery of your choice. May I politely point out that a surgery may refuse to register you if you live outside the Practice boundary.
Be sorry to hear that the ‘village’ surgery is closing but I guess that there just isn’t the room or capacity any longer.
I wasn’t aware the surgery was purpose built in 1968 – pretty much the time my folks moved to Horndean. Then I popped along shortly after that.
I remember squeezing my Capri into a space in the late 1980’s, to then get blocked in by some selfish fool. I’ve parked in the precinct since.
Thank you for the update 🙂
I presume you mean ‘complementary’ services, that is in conjunction with, rather than ‘complimentary’ which are free? And ‘losing’ rather than ‘loosing’? Best CF
Ha! Thanks Caroline! Mark is a Doctor and I am an Engineer. Between us we need the services of a proof reader! Will amend tomorrow! Thanks, Guy.
So pleased that it is finally happening but I too have grave concerns about the lack of adequate parking. From the information I obtained from Lindens some time ago only 6 spaces were being allocated to the doctors and, though I know that the owners of the Spar shop are working with the doctors on parking, you only have to look at the overall number of spaces available to see that with the added facilities being offered by the doctors, parking will still be a problem
Hi Jean, from memory the parking is not meant to be allocated. It has to be managed to prevent misuse, as parking in the square by local residents will damage the shops. It does not help that Linden have built the carpark incorrectly and to unapproved plans. this means we are missing one space and a further 9 are not the right size. this is being taken up with Lindens now but may well become a problem. Guy.